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The Baltimore Ravens were the first to sign one of the 2020 NFL Draft selections, breaking the ice by signing fifth-round pick Broderick Washington. But with training camp just weeks away, the Ravens are still trying to get contracts sorted for their entire 10-man rookie class. They continued forward on that mission, reaching an agreement with third-round pick, linebacker Malik Harrison, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This deal means Baltimore has gotten eight of their 10 draft picks under contract. The only two players still remaining for the Ravens are first-round linebacker Patrick Queen and third-round wide receiver Devin Duvernay. The pair are set to earn a combined $3.04 million against the 2020 salary cap, according to Over The Cap’s rookie projections. Harrison is projected to earn $818,073 in 2020, according to OTC, with a total contract value of just shy of $4.5 million over four years.
Under previous CBAs, rookie contracts were completely open and not only allowed for ridiculous deals for players that haven’t played a single snap, they often created holdouts that would extend into training camp and potentially the regular season. While the new CBAs created a slotted wage scale for draft picks and have largely eliminated any tough negotiations and holdouts, there has still been a few players who haven’t been signed prior to training camp and missed time. Recently, Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa missed significant time, signing his deal late in August after being taken third overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.
With the coronavirus pandemic forcing teams and players into tough social distancing regulations and the cancelation of in-person minicamps, deals have been delayed quite a lot this offseason. Not only has that clearly impacted rookies, but it was also a frequent obstacle during free agency as well. Though Baltimore still has two draft picks left to sign, the hope is that deals will be done in time for training camp so no one has to miss valuable on-field reps.
Harrison is expected to be a major contributor for the Ravens’ defense this season. The team struggled mightily at inside linebacker last year and watched both Patrick Onwuasor and Josh Bynes leave in free agency this offseason, forcing Baltimore to select both Harrison and Queen early in the 2020 NFL Draft. Harrison joins the Ravens after posting 205 total tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, one interception, and three fumble recoveries over four years with Ohio State.
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